Madrassa bill to be tabled in joint session on Dec 17

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has advised President Asif Ali Zardari to call a joint session of parliament on December 17, according to sources .

This comes amid a deadlock between the coalition government and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) over the controversial madrassa registration bill.

The prime minister has requested that the joint session be held on Tuesday at 11 am. The sources said eight bills, including the disputed madrassa registration bill, are expected to be presented during the session.

There is also ongoing consultation between the government and the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led JUI-F party regarding a new version of the bill. President Zardari had earlier raised “eight objections” to the previous version, known as the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024.

The madrassa bill, which has already been approved by both houses of parliament, now requires the president’s approval to become law. However, President Zardari had returned the bill earlier this month, citing legal objections. According to the Constitution, if the president refuses to sign the bill, it must be sent for a joint session of parliament.

JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah, reacting to the objections on Saturday, alleged that the government’s main objective is to comply with FATF (Financial Action Task Force) demands, which are imposed by international bodies for anti-money laundering practices.

“This is not Pakistan’s parliament, but FATF’s,” Hamdullah said, adding that the country’s parliament seems unable to make independent decisions.

Federal Education Minister Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui explained earlier in Karachi that 10 out of 15 madrassa boards had raised objections to the bill, prompting the federal government to review it further.

Meanwhile, President Zardari has expressed concerns that if the madrassa bill becomes law, it could lead to FATF, GSP+ (Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus), and other international sanctions on Pakistan. His objections highlighted issues such as sectarianism and the potential for conflicts of interest due to overlapping definitions of madrassas in different provisions of the new bill.

The president warned that the registration of madrassas under the bill could draw international criticism, impacting Pakistan’s standing with organizations like FATF and other global bodies. He urged lawmakers to consider international implications when drafting such legislation.